Laos 1945-1954 Laos since 1975






Laos 1954-1975



The GENEVA CONFERENCE in July 1954 determined that hostilities were to cease immediately and formerly French Indochina was to be partitioned in 4 fully independent states - the Kingdoms of Laos, Cambodia, the Republic of South Vietnam and communist North Vietnam. An INTERNATIONAL CONTROL COMMISSION (officers from Poland, Canada and India) were to observe the withdrawal of Viet Minh forces and the demobilization of PATHET LAO forces in the provinces controlled by them. However, talks over the issue broke down and the Pathet Lao did not participate in future elections.
In 1955 Laos was admitted member of the UNITED NATIONS. Meanwhile, the United States, worried about the DOMINO EFFECT, got involved in Laos; the US government paid the salaries of the entire Royal Laotian Army. In 1958 negotiations had resulted in reconciliation between government and Pathet Lao; the latter established the LAOTIAN PEOPLE'S FRONT (LPF) as a political party, which was successful beyond expectations at the next elections.
In 1959 hostilities again broke out between Pathet Lao forces and government forces; the North Vietnamese soon interfered. North Vietnam established the HO-CHI-MINH-TRAIL on Laotian territory along its border with South Vietnam, in order to supply the Viet Cong rebels in South Vietnam. The LPF members of parliament were arrested. In 1960, army officers (KONG LE) staged a coup d'etat, soon afterward followed by a counter-coup (PHOUMI). This counter-coup turned Laos into a civil war battleground with three parties involved - the communist Pathet Lao, which looked on while the counter coupers expelled Kong Le's forces from the capital. The latter were provided with vital supplies by a Soviet airlift. Kong Le's forces occupied and held on to the Plain of Jars (Luang Prabang).
Negotiations and international pressure resulted in 1962 in the formation of a coalition government. Laos was supposed to take a neutral position. In practise, the Pathet Lao continued to control stretches of eastern Laos, including the Ho-Ch--Minh-Trail. In 1964 US air attacks on Pathet Lao held territory began. During the winter 1971 to 1972 the civil war resumed with a major Pathet Lao offensive, massively supported by the North Vietnamese. Again, negotiations and international pressure lead to the formation of a coalition government.
In 1973 the United States decided to withdraw her military forces from Vietnam (and Cambodia and Laos). After another attempt of a coalition government (1974) the communist Pathet Lao took control in 1975. Many of the Laotian Hmong who had fought them until the last moment emigrated to the USA.

In 1968 Laos had 2,825,000 inhabitants, the capital Vientiane 170,000, Luang Prabang 45,000. Main export products were tin, coffee, teak, rice, cotton, tea, spices; its main trade partners were the USA, Thailand and Japan. Imports exceeded exports by a factor of 12.



EXTERNAL
FILES 		Laos, History of, from Infoplease
Library of Congress, Country Studies : Laos
Laos 1957-1973. L'Armee Clandestine, from William Blum, Killing Hope, posted by Third World Traveller
DOCUMENTS Indochina - Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities in Laos, July 20, 1954 (1), from Avalon Project, Yale Law School
Indochina - Final Declaration of the Geneva Conference on the Problem of Restoring Peace in Indo-China, July 21, 1954 (1), from Avalon Project, Yale Law School
Indochina - Direct Aid to Viet-Nam, Cambodia, and Laos: Statement by the Department of State, December 31, 1954 (1), from Avalon Project, Yale Law School
REFERENCE Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1956, p.393 (on events of 1955)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1957, p.455 (on events of 1956)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1958, p.395 (on events of 1957)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1959, pp.391-392 (on events of 1958)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1960, pp.385-386 (on events of 1959)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1961, pp.392-393 (on events of 1960)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1962, pp.388-390 (on events of 1961)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1963, pp.505-406 (on events of 1962)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1964, pp.489-490 (on events of 1963)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1965, pp.474-475 (on events of 1964)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1966, p.445 (on events of 1965)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1967, pp.469-470 (on events of 1966)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1968, pp.468-469 (on events of 1967)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1969, pp.455-456 (on events of 1968)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1970, pp.457-458 (on events of 1969)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1971, pp.437-438 (on events of 1970)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1972, pp.407-408 (on events of 1971)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1973, pp.403-404 (on events of 1972)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1974, pp.403-405 (on events of 1973)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1975, pp.425-426 (on events of 1974)
Article Laos, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1976, pp.453-454 (on events of 1975)
Article : Laos, in : Americana Annual 1957 pp.443-444 (on events of 1956) [G]
Article : Laos, in : Americana Annual 1961 pp.415-418 (on events of 1960) [G]
Article : Laos, in : Americana Annual 1962 pp.424-427 (on events of 1961) [G]
Article : Laos, in : Americana Annual 1963 pp.383-384 (on events of 1962) [G]
Article : Laos, in : Americana Annual 1964 pp.380-382 (on events of 1963) [G]
Article : Laos, in : Americana Annual 1965 pp.396-398 (on events of 1964) [G]
Article : Laos, in : Americana Annual 1967 pp.398-399 (on events of 1966) [G]
Article : Laos, in : Americana Annual 1968 p.396 (on events of 1967) [G]
Article : Laos, in : Americana Annual 1969 p.408 (on events of 1968) [G]
Article : Laos, in : Americana Annual 1970 p.406 (on events of 1969) [G]
Article : Laos, in : Americana Annual 1971 p.396 (on events of 1970) [G]
Article : Laos, in : Americana Annual 1972 pp.393-394 (on events of 1971) [G]
Article : Laos, in : Americana Annual 1973 p.395 (on events of 1972) [G]
Article : Laos, in : Americana Annual 1974 pp.332-333 (on events of 1973) [G]
Article : Laos, in : Americana Annual 1976 pp.103, 332 (on events of 1975) [G]
Article : Laos, in : The Statesman's Year-Book 1970-1971 pp. 1116-1121 (data of 1969-1970) [G]
Article : Laos, in : The Statesman's Year-Book 1975-1976 pp. 1115-1119 (data of 1974-1975) [G]


This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted on May 18th 2002, last revised on October 1st 2006

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